Most of the big sound bar brands produce models in the £100-200 price range, so if you're willing to buy a mid-range model, we've picked out some recommendations for you.
While you can get sound bars for £100 or less, going for a slightly more expensive sound bar rather than a complete entry-level model will bring you some added features, such as a wireless subwoofer and the ability to get surround sound from a Blu-ray disc player.
We review sound bars that cost from as little as £30 all the way up to extravagant models that cost more than £1,000, and we've found that price doesn't always have any bearing on whether the product actually sounds good.
Below, we've picked out a selection of more affordable sound bars that will really improve your home entertainment, each offering great sound quality.
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Top sound bars under £200
This sound bar isn’t that much cheaper than some of our Best Buys, which are models by other brands. But this isn’t a bad choice. It did well in our sound quality tests plus it’s easy to set up.
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This budget sound bar comes with a wireless subwoofer, which in theory should improve bass performance. It lacks some of the advanced features that come with more expensive sound bars, but we’re much more interested in how it sounds. See how it fares in our full review.
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With a wireless subwoofer and high-resolution audio support, this big-brand sound bar is a genuine bargain. It impresses with its sound quality, and you won’t have any problems getting set up with your television at home.
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Pricing and recommendations correct as of June 2022.
Not found the product for you? Browse all of our sound bar reviews.
The sound bars above will all make watching TV a far more enjoyable experience, but unfortunately the same can't be said of all the models we test.
For every great-value bargain, there's a complete shocker out there. Our expert reviews are the most reliable way to separate the wheat from the chaff, and we've picked out some proverbial husks in the table below.
Sound bars to avoid under £200
A very disappointing experience from this sub-£100 bar. It's easy to set up, but once you have it up and running you'll be disappointed with its harsh and tinny tones.
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This is the second-worst sound bar we've ever reviewed and the absolute worst that's still on sale. It's little surprise given its low price, but serves as a reminder that ultra-low-budget products are often a false economy.
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Is it worth buying a cheap sound bar?
There is a correlation between price and quality with sound bars – but that’s not something you should rely on. We’ve seen £1,000+ sound bars that disappoint with flat sound.
We have high expectations of sound bars at any price, and it's fair to say that Best Buy sound bars for less than £200 are a pretty rare find. But if your budget is tight, there are several sub-£200 models that we think strike the right balance between affordability and quality, as we've highlighted in the member-exclusive tables above.
However, we wouldn't recommend cutting costs too much, and certainly not without first checking our sound bar reviews. Of the sound bars we've tested that cost less than £100, only one or two scored more than 60% in our tests.
Cheap sound bar features
Where price does make a big difference is in the handy features that a sound bar has. More advanced features such as Dolby Atmos, voice control and separate subwoofers (for improved surround sound) are usually tied to price – so they’re a good way to decide on a budget for your sound bar.
Once you’ve decided on what features are most important to you, all that’s left to do is check which models actually sound good.
Below, we've compared the key features available on two models at or below the £200 mark with a mid-range and a high-end model. All four sound bars can also work as Bluetooth speakers to play music, for example.
Not sure which features you need? Take a look at our guide on how to buy the best sound bar to establish the ones that matter.
How we test sound bars
Every sound bar that goes through our test lab is put through its paces by our industry experts. We have decades of experience testing the latest home audio products, so we can recognise a deal from dud.
Before we start our listening test, we make sure we've set each sound bar up to give its best possible performance. Its position in your living room, audio settings and the overall volume level will all have a big effect on how good things sound.
We test sound bars with a range of music, TV and film soundtracks to find out how they'll sound no matter what you're listening to. For more information, take a more in-depth look at how we test sound bars.
